1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to an LCD device adapted to simplify a configuration and to secure a ground continuity for driving components.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) have widely been used as one of display devices. The CRTs are mainly used as monitors for TVs, measuring apparatus, information terminals, and others. However, the heavy weight and large size of the CRTs have been a major hindrance to the manufacturing of small and lightweight electronic products. In other words, the CRTs have limitations in weight and size to the current trend of small and lightweight electronic products. Under such circumstances, LCD devices using an electro-optical effect, plasma display panels (PDPs) using a gas discharge, electro luminescence display devices using an electro-luminescent effect, and so on are expected to replace the CRTs.
Among these flat-panel display devices, LCD devices are being actively researched. LCD devices are gradually being used in a wide range of applications due to their advantages such as lightweight, thin profile and low power consumption. Moreover, LCD devices are now being manufactured to have larger screens, be thinner, and consume less power, in order to meet the user demands. Such LCD devices display images by controlling the amount of light transmitted through liquid crystal.
LCD devices are not a self-illuminating display device, unlike CRTs. As such, an LCD device includes a backlight unit provided on the rear surface of an LCD panel. The backlight unit includes a separate light source to display images. The backlight unit can be classified into either an edge type or a direct type, depending on the disposition of a light source.
The edge-type backlight unit is mainly applied to comparatively small-sized LCD devices such as the monitors of laptops and desktop computers. The edge-type backlight unit has a good light uniformity, a long lifespan, and the advantage of thinning the LCD device. The direct-type backlight unit has begun to be developed for LCD devices that have a size above 20 inches. The direct-type backlight unit directly irradiates light onto the entire surface of the LCD panel. To this end, the direct-type backlight unit includes a plurality of light sources arranged on the lower surface of a diffusion plate. Because the direct-type backlight unit has a higher light efficiency than the edge-type backlight unit, it is mainly used for LCD devices of a large size that require a high brightness.
An LCD device includes an LCD module configured to include an LCD panel and a backlight unit, a system driver installed to the rear surface of the LCD module, and upper and lower cases. The LCD panel and the backlight unit are combined with each other by engaging a top case to a bottom cover. The top case is configured to encompass the upper surface edges of the LCD panel. The bottom cover is configured to receive the backlight unit. The upper and lower cases are combined together to enclose the LCD module without covering the display area to complete the assembly of the LCD device.
However, the assembly process of the LCD device is complicated and the efficiency is lower. The assembly process is thus difficult to reduce the production costs and implement LCD devices with a thin profile.